- holograms have arrived: le 3D digital images have become reality. Whether they use viewers or other technologies, in recent years we have been able to see some prototype and even a couple of commercial applications. But the ability to do 3D video calls on our smartphone holographic is still a long way off. How long do we have to wait for 3D holograms to be part of our daily life?
- The 3D holograms are already here, with the right viewer
- Not only HoloLens: mixed reality glasses
- Holograms without viewer: 3D projections
- Smartphone holograms: when will they arrive?
The 3D holograms are already here, with the right viewer
Holograms position a 3D image within the real world. If you are a fan of Star Wars you can only imagine Princess Leia asking Obi-Wan for help. But you can find other references in half of the science fiction films produced: from Blade Runner to the Avengers. With the Hollywood special effects, 3D holograms become an already achievable spectacle. So much so that even theme parks, circuses and forms of entertainment of all kinds have exploited these three-dimensional images over the years.
In all these films and shows the image is projected but for some time we have had a technology that achieves a similar result without futuristic drones, stages and superhero skills: the augmented reality. In this case, a screen acts as a means to be able to see the holographic and three-dimensional image inserted into the world. The simplest method at the moment is to use the smartphone camera. By now this technology is so much in vogue that it is enough to search on Google to find an image to be projected in augmented reality, from those of many animals to Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian.
Not only HoloLens: augmented reality glasses
A further step to make this process even more immersive is to use augmented reality glasses. Perhaps the best known example is HoloLens, the Microsoft product that has the "holo" of "hologram" in the name. But there are a lot of companies that are working on similar technologies, both large electronics companies and startups and small businesses. The poor commercial success of products such as Google Glass has limited the knowledge of this technology to the general public, but for the professionals it's a whole other thing.
There are interior designers who place their creations in the houses they are furnishing. But also doctors who project 3D holograms of the human skeleton during an operation to help guide the scalpel.
But in addition to eyewear, a contact lens prototype featuring augmented reality has already been released at CES in 2021 (Mojo Lens), as well as an upcoming commercial product (iLens). These smart contact lenses take away the inconvenience of having a bulky viewer, allowing you to see 3D holograms directly in front of your eyes.
Holograms without viewer: 3D projections
If, on the other hand, we talk about the more classical meaning of holograms, the real one 3D projection, then the number of available devices shrinks. There are some examples, even for several years. As we have seen, especially in the entertainment world. For example in 2012 at the music festival Coachella the hologram of Tupac sang with old friends Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
The lights, stage and atmosphere achieved a better effect than technology alone could have guaranteed. Today the 3D hologram projections are more accurate, taking better account of how light illuminates a three-dimensional object. But if three-dimensional holograms are possible for big events, things get complicated when it comes to consumer electronics.
Looking Glass Factory and other commercial projectors
A company that is making headlines in this field is LookingGlass Factory. This company has produced 3D screens from 9 to 15 inches, with good results, albeit still very expensive. A more affordable product (although still from 349 dollars) is the new video frame: Looking Glass Portrait.
It is a small holographic projector that allows you to transmit images at 60 fps. The result is not perfect yet, but it allows you to view three-dimensional images from any angle you watch the video. With software HoloPlay Studio you can transmit your image taken from a smartphone or a webcam, modifying it.
Sony instead it marketed a 3D creator screen, which allows you to look at holograms of your creations. The price is very high and the technical characteristics required of the computer to create and transmit the images are prohibitive for the average user. But the Technology for 3D holograms is growing and it is not unthinkable that, in a few years, this type of product will drop in price.
Do-it-yourself: build your hologram
If you don't want to spend money and time planning, you can anyway turn your smartphone into a holographic projector quite simply. Just use a truncated pyramid with a square base and a video created specifically for holograms, with the images reproduced on four sides (like the ones you find in this list on YouTube).
You only need one to build your pyramid old CD case (or any other clear glass-like plastic). You have to cut out four trapezoids from the plastic: base less than 1 cm, base greater than 6 cm and oblique sides from 4,5 cm (they can be bigger, if you keep the proportions). To help you, you can first draw the trapezoid on graph paper and then trace on the plastic. Cut them and join them on the oblique sides a form a pyramid, to be glued with glue or tape.
Now just place the smaller base of the pyramid at the video center, and then start playback. You should see the reflected image in the center of the pyramid: a homemade DIY hologram. It works?
If you don't feel like spending time in this little creative workshop, you can always buy a pre-made pyramid on Amazon, like this one below.
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3D holograms: when do they arrive on smartphones?
If there are already headsets, screens for professionals and even frames for watching videos in 3D, when the holograms on smartphones? Some models have already been developed as “proof of concept”: a way to see if the technology is really feasible (like the Red Hydrogen One, which was later closed). Some large companies have also started the process of making a holographic screen, Samsung even filed a patent a few years ago.
For the moment, however, we still do not have any products marketed by the big brands, which can make technology everyday. The reason is that although it is possible to create holograms quite easily (even using an old CD case), for the moment the quality level is not up to par. At least not to be a usable and useful solution for the user. So we have to expect at least a couple of years to come up with a model that works well enough to interest the public. The good thing is that, after the first successful model, the competition should ignite quickly.
In the next few years we will hardly be able to do one holographic video call. But it comes down to refine a technology already used, not to invent a new one. Whether with augmented reality contact lenses or projectors installed on the smartphone screen, 3D holograms will soon become the norm.
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